Two Worlds, One Family
by Kyoto-Caitlyn
Summary: After receiving a second chance from the Norns, five-year-old Loki is left with a lot of scars that need healing. He also has the big task of integrating his two families; his family on Asgard and his family on Midgard. AU. Follows the events of One Step Forward, Four Steps Back. Will follow the events of Iron Man 3 and Thor 2.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: This story is a sequel! It will not make much sense if you jump in now without reading _One Step Forward, Four Steps Back_ first. Enjoy!**

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TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY

A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION

CHAPTER ONE: Good News

A day in the life of Loki Laufeyson is not what you may be expecting. First off, Loki is no longer a man, but a boy of five. The Norns transformed the man Loki after the battle of New York into a child in order to give Loki a second chance. Not everyone saw this as a good thing, nor did they truly see him as a boy. Odin and S.H.I.E.L.D. treated him poorly for weeks on end, but luckily Loki has Thor as an older brother.

So, a day in the life of Loki is very different than it once was. When Loki wakes up in the morning, he has to make the hard decision of pajamas or "real clothes". He eats with Jane and Thor, brushes his teeth, then has lessons until noon with various people. Loki learns all sorts of things, but his favorites are science and reading. Both are fascinating to him. He then eats lunch with Thor and has the afternoon to do as he pleases. Some days he goes outside, others he plays with his pet turtle, Moss, and others he just watches movies with Thor. Loki eats dinner, plays with Thor, takes a bath and is in bed by nine at the latest.

Not exactly what you were expecting from Loki. But what can you say? He changed. The only struggle now is fixing what others broke. Getting better after what he's been through is going to be challenging. On top of that, Loki has the difficult task of integrating his Midgardian family with his Asgardian one. These are both tasks that could never be accomplished by the faint of heart. Luckily, Loki's heart is anything but faint. It will just take some time for these things to happen. Because if Loki wants something, Thor knows he'll get it one way or another.

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Loki's brow was furrowed with concentration. Sweat was dripping from it as he thought. He was gnawing on his lip in thought. It just wasn't coming to him. The room was silent besides his breathing, which was becoming labored. His heart was pounding. The nerves were finally crashing on him. Loki glanced up nervously, but quickly looked back down. This was taking much more time than he was expecting it too. He didn't understand why this was so hard. This sort of thing came naturally to him usually. Loki was just so afraid of it not being good enough. Loki groaned and laid his head down on the table. It just wasn't happening. What he wanted to do wouldn't happen. His brain wouldn't allow it. He could barely think straight. Not to mention he had a particularly annoying loose tooth to distract him from the task at hand as well. Loki glanced to the right at the box of crayons and a new spark of determination entered his eyes. He was going to finish it! It would be good because he made it! He only hoped that he would still think so when it was finished.

After an hour or so, Loki was done. He glanced it over and nodded. Not bad. It looked pretty good. Not his best work, but it would do the trick. The nerves were coming back, but Loki shook his head. He had no reason to be nervous. Or so he thought. Loki was pretty sure there was no reason to be nervous. He slid off the chair and grabbed his creation. Clutching it to his chest, Loki left the kitchenette of Jane Foster's laboratory and hurried to find someone. After a minute or two of searching, the person in question was visible. Taking a shaky breath, Loki walked over.

"Thor?" Loki called shakily. Thor turned around and smiled at the sight of his five-year-old brother.

"What do you have there, Loki?" Thor asked. Loki glanced down at the paper in his hand and avoided eye contact with Thor.

"Um, well, I…uh…I made you somethin'." Loki mumbled softly. Thor smiled weakly.

"Really? That was very kind of you. May I see it?" Thor asked gently. Loki nodded and handed Thor the paper without looking at him. Thor took it and his smile grew wider. The paper was covered in various items from feathers from glitter. Written on the top of the paper in Loki's very poor hand writing was: "To Thor, the bestest brother ever". In the center of the paper was a drawing of Thor and Loki (or so Thor thought) holding hands and smiling brightly. Thor glanced down at Loki who was shuffling his feet awkwardly. Clearly the boy was worried that Thor wouldn't like his gift. The thing was, Thor felt like this was one of the nicest things anyone had ever given to him. Thor ruffled the boy's hair and that caught Loki by surprise.

"I love it, Loki," Thor told him. Loki giggled and gave Thor a hug.

"I was so scared tha' you wouldn'! 'M glad you like it!" Loki squealed happily.

"How could I not like it? I'm going to hang it on the refrigerator for everyone else to see." Thor said.

"'Kay!" Loki cried, hurrying to the kitchenette. "Can we use this magnet?"

"Of course. I like that one too." Thor replied, taking the magnet from Loki's tiny fingers and placing the paper on the refrigerator door.

"Thor?" Both Thor and Loki looked over to find Jane in the kitchenette.

"Yes?" Thor replied.

"Were we expecting a visit from your dad and Nick Fury today?" Jane asked. There was an obvious tension in her voice. Loki was shaking already.

"No," Thor said slowly, picking Loki up. "Where are they?" Jane gestured backward with her head.

"Living room," she replied. Loki was hiding his face in Thor's shoulder.

"Leave it to me," Thor said, leaving the kitchenette.

"Wha' is Mr. Fury doin' here?" Loki whispered fearfully.

"I honestly have no idea, brother," Thor replied.

"Is he gonna take me away again?" Loki asked. Thor could hear the tears in Loki's voice.

"No. That will not happen, I promise." Thor said sternly. Loki shook his head.

"I don' belie'e you," Loki muttered into Thor's shoulder.

"I know you don't," Thor said.

Thor reached the living room and saw Odin and Fury sitting on one of the couches. The room was silent. Neither man had spoken a word to each other. The atmosphere was tense and awkward. They also weren't looking at each other. Thor took a deep breath and walked over. Loki was whimpering, his fingers clutching Thor's shirt desperately. Thor really wanted to tell him that all was well. That nothing bad would happen. But he knew that Loki wouldn't believe him. There was no point in offering words that Loki wouldn't believe. Instead, Thor began running fingers through Loki's hair. It didn't do much, but Thor liked to believe that it did.

"Father?" Thor said. Odin turned his head and stood. He walked over to Thor and kissed his forehead. The old man placed a hand on Loki's trembling back and sighed.

"He's frightened," Odin commented.

"What is Fury doing here?" Thor demanded.

"He and I have worked out the issue of Loki's schooling," Odin replied. Loki lifted his head and looked at Odin with a tearful, frightened face.

"Is he gonna take me away?" Loki asked. Odin took Loki from Thor's grasp.

"No Loki," Odin replied, rubbing Loki's back. "He's just here to help explain your schooling. He knows more of Midgard than I do."

"School?" Loki questioned softly.

"Yes. We've come to an agreement about not only your schooling, but your and Thor's citizenship." Odin said, knowing Loki didn't understand but Thor did.

"This is excellent news, father," Thor said.

"Indeed. It took a couple of weeks, but we finally reached a point that we all agreed on." Odin told him, moving back to the couch. Loki was slightly less afraid now that he knew that Fury wasn't going to touch him. Thor and Odin sat and Odin readjusted Loki slightly. Loki protested with a whine and demanded to be facing Odin. He didn't want to look at Fury. So Odin obliged, which surprised Thor. He didn't say anything about it but it was shocking that Odin would put Loki's wants and needs before his own.

"Thor," Fury greeted, ignoring Loki completely. Thor nodded, but his face was already burning in anger. Though he knew it was for the best that Fury ignore Loki, it still infuriated him. Thor saw Fury's dismissal of Loki's presence as cowardice and that angered Thor that Fury couldn't face a five-year-old boy.

"Fury," Thor grunted. Loki shifted on Odin's lap and the whimpering had begun again.

"Shh…it's alright," Odin said softly.

"May I?" Thor said. Odin sighed and nodded. Loki crawled over to Thor and clung to him. Thor felt slightly guilty that Loki found more comfort in him than in his father, but what else would Odin expect? After Fjørlag-Bryggja Odin should expect no less. It didn't stop Thor from feeling guilty though.

"I am a busy man. Let's get this done." Fury said, clearly annoyed. Both Thor and Odin glared daggers at him.

"What is the decision regarding citizenship? What of Loki's status?" Thor asked.

"You both are now citizens of both Asgard and earth. You are free to do whatever you want on earth, within reason of course, and call yourselves by your proper titles. As for Loki, he has been cleared of all charges to his name. The clear comes from insufficient evidence, but the real reason is obviously circumstance. Questions so far?" Fury explained.

"On Midgard people carry last names. I am assuming that our last name is Odinson?" Thor asked.

"Only if you want it to be. I have the paper work you need to fill out regarding names here." Fury said, handing Thor the papers. Thor flipped through them as Fury continued, "If it's alright with you Odin, I'd like to move on to Loki."

"Of course," Odin said.

"Since Loki has been cleared of all charges, he is now free to go to school. He is entitled to education by law since he is a citizen of the United States. Failure to comply will result in jail time for you, Thor. Has he received any education these past two months?" Fury questioned.

"Yes. Jane, Erik, Darcy and I have been giving him lessons in the morning. He learns everything from reading to Asgardian history." Thor answered.

"Good. You have the choice of homeschooling him or sending him to school. In this country, public school is free and private school costs money to enroll and send children to it. The decision is up to you, but we have to know by the end of this month what you plan to do." Fury said.

"Alright. Is there anything else?" Thor asked. Fury smirked.

"Actually there is. The Loki clause." Fury said.

"Loki clause?" Thor repeated. Fury nodded.

"If Loki ever steps out of line S.H.I.E.L.D. has every right to hunt him down and bring him in, regardless of age. He has to be an outstanding citizen in order to be treated like one. If he wants to live here, he has to be on his best behavior otherwise he'll regret it." Fury explained. He seemed smug, pleased about it. He assumed that one day Loki would return to evil and he would have the right to take him away.

"You will not monitor us, right?" Thor retorted.

"Of course not. That's against the law." Fury replied.

"Then we're done here," Thor said.

"Fine. Just mail in the paper work when it's done." Fury said, standing. He left the laboratory and every one glared as he went.

It wasn't until around seven that Thor looked at the papers again. Odin had stayed for dinner and Frigga joined him. Loki was ecstatic about his parents eating dinner with him. He didn't really understand why they were there, though. The reason they were there was to talk about Loki's schooling. Frigga and Odin had a strong desire for Loki to attend lessons on Asgard like in his previous childhood. He need magic tutoring badly and they wanted him to know Asgard's stories as well. Thor wanted Loki to make his own decision regarding school and knew full well Loki wanted to go to public school. So after dinner, they all sat at the table and Thor pulled out the papers.

"We need to talk about this," Thor said. "We all want different things regarding Loki's education."

"I want him to tutor on Asgard," Odin declared. Frigga nodded in agreement.

"So do I. I think it important for him to get a grasp on his magic as well as know Asgard's proud stories." Frigga added. Odin and Frigga turned their gazes to Thor. Loki was looking at his feet.

"What do you think son?" Odin asked.

"It matters not what I think or want, but what Loki wants. This is his schooling we are talking about." Thor said. A smile was etched upon Loki's face and he glanced up to meet their glances.

"I wan' t' go t' school with other kids, but I also wan' t' learn how t' control magic," Loki told them, "I j'st don' know how I coul' do tha'. I can' be two places at the same time." Thor smiled.

"Do you want to learn about Asgard's history still?" Thor asked. Loki nodded.

"Yeah. I like tha' lots." Loki replied.

"How do we come to an agreement, then?" Frigga asked.

"I have an idea," Thor began, "when Loki visits on weekends he can spend part of the day learning."

"That sounds like a fine idea. What do you think Odin?" Frigga said.

"I think that will do nicely," Odin agreed with a nod.

"Then it's settled then. Loki will go to public school." Thor said, Loki squirming in his seat happily.

"Thank you mummy an' daddy an' Thor!" Loki squealed in delight.

"You are very welcome, Loki," Thor said, Loki still bouncing in his seat.

Odin didn't approve of Loki going to Midgardian school. Thor could tell. They sent Loki to his room to play for a while and an awkward silence fell. Thor wanted to avoid an argument. Unfortunately one was coming. Thor knew it. He could tell from Odin's very posture that he wasn't happy. Not happy at all. He wanted Loki to have a traditional Asgardian education. That wasn't possible, though. Loki wasn't allowed on Asgard more than two days at a time. How in the nine realms could Loki get a traditional Asgardian education if he didn't live there? It didn't seem to register with Odin, though. He refused to compromise and would only accept what he wanted. The old man was so hardheaded and Thor knew that this "discussion" would only go poorly.

"Father," Thor began, "please think before you speak. We don't have as many options as you think." Odin scowled.

"What mean you?" Odin questioned. Thor sighed; this was going to be a long night.

The argument was loud and long. So loud that Loki could hear it from his bedroom. Jane came in to sit with him as they argued. He hated that they were arguing over him. Absolutely hated it. Could no one get along? Would he always be a point of argument for his family? At this rate, Loki was beginning to think he would be.

"Why are they still fightin'?" Loki asked softly. It had been nearly an hour. Jane sighed.

"I don't know buddy. It seems like your daddy can't agree with anybody about this." Jane replied.

"Don' they care wha' I wan'?" Loki cried, flopping backward on to the bed.

"I'm sure they do. You just have to understand the position your parents are in. All of Asgard is against you, yet they want to raise you the way they want but they can't. Until Asgard is less hostile toward you buddy, your parents won't be able to raise you the way that makes them comfortable. Can you imagine having your son in some distant land and not being able to be with him?" Jane explained.

"Can' we j'st be one big family? Tha's what I wan'." Loki said.

"I don't think it's that simple," Jane replied.

"Well I do. We coul' be one big family if we tried. But I don' think daddy is even tryin'." Loki told her. Jane laid down next to him and sighed.

"Oh Loki. You might be wiser than all the grown-ups combined." She said with a smile. Loki giggled.

"Thank you Miss Foster. I j'st wan' the fightin' t' stop." Loki said rolling over.

"Want to take your bath?" Jane asked. She could see Loki shrug.

"'Kay," Loki replied sitting up. Jane sat up too and they walked to the bathroom, the argument still going strong. Loki glanced backward at the direction from which the heated voices sounded and sighed. This was all his fault. He would never be able to please Odin. Ever. That much was clear. Tears formed in his eyes, but he blinked them away. Never had he been so discouraged in his life. He had no idea how to repair his family. He felt like it was all on him. Clearly leaving it to the adults resulted in arguments. He just didn't know how he could do it. It wasn't like he was good enough to. But he would try anyway. There was no other option. Loki had to otherwise his whole family would fall apart and it would be all his fault.

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**And we're back! I meant to have this up a week ago for Thanksgiving, but alas it didn't happen. But it's here now! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to have the next chapter up in a week!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Trindeanfan: **Thank you! Glad you liked it!

**lederra: **I'm so happy you liked it!

**AnimeFan202: **I totally get where you're coming from on the whole Fury issue. I think with that exchange between Fury, Odin, Thor and Loki the reason why he seemed, for lack of a better term _evil _is because what he did to Loki is still very fresh in everyone's minds. They _know_ that he is their ticket to living peacefully on Earth but they also _know _what he did to Loki. Luckily, he's not a very important character overall at the moment, so tensions are going to begin dying down between Fury, Thor and Loki.

**doesthatmakemepokey: **It was a great, snarky line, wasn't it?

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TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY

A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION

CHAPTER TWO: Kindergarten Registration

It finally was agreed that Loki would go to public school and have lessons every other weekend on Asgard. Odin wasn't happy and neither was Frigga. They didn't want Loki in Midgardian schooling, but Thor managed to convince them that since Loki would be spending most of his time on Midgard that this was the best solution. Odin hinted that at some point the boy would live on Asgard full time and he would have no need for what Midgard would teach him. With a sigh and rolled eyes, Thor agreed but said that Loki needed to learn regardless.

Once the decision was made, Thor called a local elementary school to set up an appointment for registration. He wanted to see if he could get Loki in school for spring semester. The appointment was set for Monday and Thor was anxious. He honestly wasn't even sure if Loki was ready for school yet. The emotional breakdowns hadn't stopped and Loki didn't do well around strangers and large groups of people. Thor knew that putting him in school sooner than later would benefit him, but it didn't stop him from worrying.

When Monday morning came around, Loki hadn't slept well. He never really sleeps well, but this night was the worse he had in a while. Loki was crabby and that increased Thor's anxiety. Loki refused to get dressed and got landed in time out for a whole five minutes. Sniveling, Loki agreed to dress and he mopped out of his room to eat.

"Thor," Loki whined, announcing his presence. Thor glanced over and an anxious smile broke out over his face.

"Ready to eat?" Thor asked. Loki nodded and climbed into a chair. A grin slowly overtook Loki's face as his legs swung back and forth. Thor glanced over and noticed the smile that was engulfing Loki's chubby face and was immediately curious. He picked up Loki's plate and cup, and then said with a laugh, "What are you so happy about?"

"I get t' go t' school t'day!" Loki squealed.

"Not really," Thor said. Loki's face fell and instantly his green eyes began swimming. "But," Thor quickly began, "we are going to the school you'll go to in a couple of months. We have to, uh, tell the teachers that you're coming." Thor hoped he had explained it well enough for Loki to understand. To Thor's delight, Loki grinned.

"'Kay," Loki replied, Thor breathing a sigh of relief when Loki picked up his fork and allowed the conversation to die.

After breakfast Loki played quietly for a while with his turtle, Moss. LEGOs were scattered across the floor, various plastic animals accompanying them. Moss was in the middle of all the chaos Loki had created. Loki was attempting to get Moss to destroy the LEGO city he had built, but his attempts were failing. Turtles just weren't the type of animal to destroy things. They were much more content with lazy days and a head of cabbage. That would never do of course. Loki had things to do and Moss just had to cooperate whether he wanted to or not. So Loki tried sweet talking Moss but to no avail. Maybe turtles didn't understand English. Loki sat on his bottom and thought of a way to communicate successfully with Moss. What sound did turtles even make? Loki shook his head. He had never heard Moss utter even the smallest of sounds. But Thor would know; Thor knew everything. Standing, Loki told Moss to stay put then toddled over to where Thor sat.

"Thor?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Thor replied, turning to face him. Loki looked down slightly, embarrassed that he didn't know what sound turtles made. Thor's face became concerned as Loki's face fell and he asked, "Is all well?" Loki shrugged slightly.

"'M s'rry, Thor, but I don' know wha' sound a turtle makes." Loki answered shamefully. Thor blinked and a smile spread across his face. Loki could be so dramatic.

"You don't?" Thor asked. Loki shook his head and his bottom lip trembled.

"Nuh-huh," Loki whimpered.

"That's alright, Loki. It's nothing to get upset about. Do you know what sound a cow makes?" Thor asked. Loki's chubby face instantly brightened and he nodded.

"Uh-huh! Moo!" Loki cried.

"What about cats?" Thor prompted.

"Meow, meow, meow! Tha's wha' kitties say!" Loki exclaimed.

"Do you know what dogs say?" Thor asked.

"Woof, woof, bark!" Loki answered with a giggle.

"See? You know lots of animal sounds already." Thor said.

"Can turtles understand kitty talk?" Loki asked. Thor shrugged.

"I suppose," Thor began, "Why do you want to know what sound a turtle makes anyway?" Loki sighed dramatically and flopped down next to Thor.

"Well, I wan' Moss t' destroy the city I built outta LEGOs, but he won' do it!" Loki explained.

"And you think explaining this to him in turtle speak will get him to understand?" Thor inquired. Loki nodded, his thumb traveling to his lips.

"Uh-huh. Mummy tol' me a story once 'bout animals tha' could talk to each other. Doggies can talk t' doggies and kitties can talk t' kitties. If I make the noise tha' turtles make, Moss will understand an' break the city." Loki replied.

"You think that will work?" Thor asked with a smile.

"Yup, I do. So what do turtles say?" Loki questioned once more.

"Well," Thor sighed, a hand on his chin, "I believe they grunt." Thor didn't honestly know if turtles even made noise at all. But leaving Loki disappointed after so much good conversation was not a road Thor wanted to go down. A giggle sounded and Loki hopped off the couch.

"Thanks Thor! 'M gonna go grun' at Moss now!" The patter of feet filled the air followed by gentle grunts of "please" and "thank you". The turtle raised its leg and began walking away, Loki squealing happily as its shell knocked over a small house made of LEGOs.

It wasn't until after lunch that Thor and Loki left the house. The school was within walking distance so they walked. Jane had acquired a wagon at some point and Loki begged Thor to let him ride in it. After many minutes of pouting and thorough amounts of convincing, Loki got his wish and got to ride in Jane's wagon. It was red, shiny and appeared brand new. The tires glided across the sidewalk with ease as Thor dragged it behind him. A cooler full of juice boxes and Goldfish held Loki's legs up. The emergency backpack was on Thor's shoulder. A stuffed goat was resting next to Loki. Loki shifted and removed his feet from the cooler. He grabbed two juice boxes and handed one to Thor. Thor took it and the brothers began to sip Juicy Juice together in the crisp autumn air.

The wagon came to a stop about twenty minutes later. The school was large and appeared to only have one floor. Green grass surrounded it on all sides and a playground peaked out from behind the building. Thor frowned and looked around. He wasn't sure where to keep the wagon. He figured the principal wouldn't appreciate it sitting in his office. As he thought, Loki was getting antsy. The playground was practically calling, _begging_, for the boy to rush over and play on it. Now, Loki knew better than to run off on his own. Countless grown-ups had told him that he could get lost or hurt if he went off on his own. At this point in time however, Loki's better judgment was getting clouded. The playground looked like so much fun! There were a few children on it and they looked about Loki's size and age. Loki wiggled a little and bit down on his lip. He glanced back to Thor who was still thinking of where the wagon should go so it wouldn't get stolen then back at the playground. Desire won in the end and Loki crept out of the wagon. He tip-toed toward the playground but felt a strong hand grab his shoulder. Loki flinched and slowly looked up to find Thor holding him back.

"Where are you going?" Thor asked. Loki hung his head.

"I was goin' t' the playground without askin'," Loki admitted, knowing lying would only make it worse.

"Loki, you know better than that. We don't know this place and you could have gotten lost. I promise we'll go play after we get you enrolled in school." Thor told him hoisting the boy up. Loki squirmed in protest.

"Put me down!" Loki cried as Thor fought the squirming boy. "I can walk! 'M not a baby!" Thor rolled his eyes.

"I'll put you down in a moment. We're going to go potty first." Thor said sternly.

"I don' have t' go! Put me down!" Loki protested.

"Loki, I don't care. We are going. After we will get you enrolled in school." Thor told him. Loki huffed and admitted defeat.

"You big meanie," Loki muttered. Thor chuckled.

"Does that surprise you? I am the biggest meanie in the nine realms." Thor replied, earning a giggle out of Loki.

"I don' think tha's true," Loki said.

"Oh, you don't?" Thor asked. Loki shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. You're bein' a big meanie, but you're not a big meanie." Loki explained.

"I'm glad you think so," Thor replied, entering the building. Loki gasped a little as they went in, his heart beginning to beat faster. Suddenly he didn't like this much at all. His chest began heaving and Loki began squirming again. Thor glanced down and held Loki up to his face revealing tears on Loki's chubby cheeks. "Loki," Thor began, "What's wrong?"

"'M scared! Can we go home?" Loki cried. Thor frowned and drew Loki in for a hug. Loki instantly wrapped both his arms and his legs around Thor, his fingers gripping Thor's shirt tight. Thor began to rub Loki's back and he continued to walk forward.

"It's alright, Loki. There's nothing to be scared of. You aren't going to school today, Loki. We are just telling the teachers you're coming in a few months, remember?" Thor said softly. Loki nodded, snot smearing on Thor's shirt.

"Uh-huh but 'm still scared," Loki whispered.

"It's alright to be scared. I get scared sometimes too." Thor told him. Loki lifted his head up.

"You do?" Loki asked.

"Yes," Thor began, "For instance when you were in Fjørlag-Bryggja I was so scared."

"How d' you be brave Thor when you're scared?" Loki asked.

"Well, I guess you just take a deep breath and do what needs to be done. Remember Loki, bravery is not the absence of fear. You'd be a fool not to be afraid of some things. When are scared of what needs to be done, we do so anyway because it is right. I know you don't understand and that's fine. All you need to know is I'm here to protect you." Thor told him.

"I'll be brave like you," Loki said softly.

"Good. Let's start by going potty. Then we can be brave and talk to the principal." Thor said.

"Wha's a principal?" Loki asked.

"He's the man in charge," Thor explained.

"Like a king?" Loki questioned.

"Yes. Much like a king." Thor answered. Loki giggled softly.

"You're gonna be king too," Loki told him. Thor nodded deeply.

"Indeed I am," Thor replied.

"You'll be a good king," Loki said, his heart beat returning to normal.

"You think so?" Thor asked. Loki nodded eagerly, squirming again.

"Uh-huh! You will!" Loki cried happily. Thor smiled fondly.

"I am glad someone thinks so," Thor murmured, Loki's face going blank with confusion. He assumed it must be grown-up stuff and shouldn't be worried about it. Loki just didn't understand why anyone would think that Thor wouldn't make a good king.

After Loki's reluctant bathroom break, Thor took him by the hand and they made their way to the main office of the school building. The instant Thor walked in a secretary greeted him and had him sign in. All the other secretaries commented on how cute and well behaved Loki was. Loki soaked it up of course. Giggles and smiles radiated off of Loki like the sun's heat. The secretaries swooned of course. Cheek pinching occurred and that's when Loki got fed up with the women of the office.

"You are just a doll!" One said cheerfully, her perfectly manicured fingers digging into Loki's skin. Loki brushed her hand away and chuckled nervously.

"I don' like it when you do tha'," he told them. They all giggled and Loki's brow lowered. Were they not taking him seriously?

"He is the cutest little thing!" One squealed.

"Oh yes," another agreed, "I could just take him home!" Loki shook his head.

"'M not goin' home with anybody 'cept Thor!" Loki protested. "I am a prince of Asgard an' I wan' t' be treated like one!" They all exchanged glances and chuckled nervously.

"I forgot that he was an alien," one of them whispered. Loki's brow furrowed in confusion.

"A alien? 'M not a alien. 'M from Asgard silly." Loki corrected, confused as to why they would think he was an alien.

"Loki?" Loki turned and saw Thor gesturing for him.

"I gotta go," Loki told the secretaries, "bye-bye!" He dashed over to Thor and Thor picked him up, Loki instantly squirming. "I don' wanna be carried!" Thor rolled his eyes.

"Too bad," Thor replied. Loki huffed and continued to struggle against Thor's arms.

"Thor," Loki whined.

"Loki," Thor warned, "behave yourself. We have to make a good impression with the principal." Loki sighed.

"I'll be a good boy," Loki replied, his arms crossed.

"Of course you will," Thor agreed. Loki smiled.

"You think 'm a good boy?" Loki asked.

"Well yes. I think that because it's true." Thor told him.

"'Kay," Loki said. There was a pause. They approached the office and Thor slowed a little. "'M still scared." Loki admitted.

"I know. Just stay close to me and everything will be fine."

"'Kay," Loki said with a wavering voice. Thor rubbed Loki's back soothingly and took a deep breath. His nerves were frayed to. This meeting was very important and Thor very well might ruin it. Now, Thor knew that was highly unlikely. That sort of thought was merely the nerves talking. But the nerves were loud. The song they sang was loud regardless of how false it may be. Loki's nerves were singing the same song, only louder. Loki shivered in Thor's grasp and clung to the tail end of Thor's shirt.

"It's going to be alright," Thor said, a fist moving toward the closed door. Loki shut his eyes and waited. Three knocks sounded and Loki gasped audibly.

"Come in," called a female voice. Loki peeled an eye open and saw a look of confusion on Thor's face.

"I though' you said that the principal was a king," Loki said. Thor's brow furrowed and he opened the door. Sitting behind the desk was a redheaded woman. She appeared to be in her late thirties with small children. Thor made this deduction by the pictures on her wall and the ones in frames on her desk. She was smiling brightly and gestured for Thor to sit down. Loki began whimpering and fighting Thor's strong grip. Thor tried his best to calm Loki down, but Loki was too panicked and scared to take comfort in Thor's best efforts.

"Good afternoon," she said, shaking Thor's hand. Thor sat down and she continued, "My name is Catherine Rivers." Thor situated Loki on his lap so that the boy was facing her. The principal looked concerned as Loki's pale and frightened face met her own. "Oh my. Is he alright?" Thor nodded.

"Yes," Thor said, digging through the backpack for Loki's stuffed goat. He found it and handed it to Loki who took it instantly. The principal smiled. Thor glanced up at her and said, "We can now begin our meeting, maiden." The principal giggled lightly.

"You can call me Mrs. Rivers," she told him.

"Alright. Loki, say hello to Mrs. Rivers." Thor said. Loki's face paled more.

"Um," he gulped, "hi." Mrs. Rivers smiled at him.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Loki. I'm not scary." Mrs. Rivers told him. Loki buried his face in his stuffed goat and tears leaked from his eyes.

"'M s'rry Mrs. Rivers, but I do think you're scary. E'erybody is scary t' me." Loki admitted sadly. Thor rubbed his back softly.

"Shh," he cooed, "all is well Loki. You want to go to school, remember?" Loki nodded.

"Uh-huh," Loki replied.

"Let's make this meeting quick, sir. I can tell Loki wants to go home." Mrs. Rivers said. Thor nodded in agreement.

"That sounds wonderful," Thor chirped. Mrs. Rivers smiled and pulled out a folder with a label that had only one thing written on it; Loki.

"So," Mrs. Rivers began, "an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. contacted us two weeks ago informing us that you and your brother would be staying here until further notice. We also learned that your brother is of elementary age and needed a place to attend school." She flipped open the folder and began shifting through papers. Documents with the S.H.I.E.L.D. brand were visible and Thor noticed that none of the documents made mention of Loki's criminal activity. They did, however, mention that Loki was traumatized. Thor wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Is the last name Odinson? Two are mentioned and I'm not sure which one is correct. The file never specifies."

"Odinson," Thor replied quickly. Loki glanced up at Thor with confusion. Why in the world would he have two last names? Loki shook his head; he'd have to ask sometime.

"Alright. Now, you want him enrolled for spring semester?" Mrs. Rivers asked.

"Yes," Thor answered. Loki tugged on Thor's shirt.

"Wha's spring 'mester mean?" Loki asked.

"It means you'll go to school in the spring time," Thor explained.

"'Kay," Loki replied.

"Is Loki in therapy?" Mrs. Rivers questioned. Thor shook his head.

"Nay, he isn't," Thor began, Mrs. Rivers giving him a strange look, "if he doesn't improve soon, however, I will search out therapy for him."

"Okay. Any speech problems?" Thor's brow furrowed.

"What mean you?" Thor asked.

"Does Loki speak correctly or is he behind other children his age?" Mrs. Rivers elaborated.

"Well I don't know. I think he speaks like a child. Does that answer your question?" Thor replied.

"Not really, but it doesn't matter. Kindergarten is when we catch problems like that. Has he had any prior schooling?" Mrs. Rivers inquired.

"My comrades and I homeschool him in the mornings. He can read the entirety of _Brown Bear, Brown bear_ and _The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar_." Thor told her.

"Yup! I can read those all by myself!" Loki declared proudly.

"Any behavioral problems?" Thor shook his head.

"He is usually well behaved, ma'am. Loki does, however, have a mischievous side. It is my hope that he doesn't act on it while under your care." Thor said.

"I hope so too. Anything else I should know?" Mrs. Rivers asked.

"Loki has panic attacks sometimes. When this happens, call the number S.H.I.E.L.D. gave you. I'll be able to take care of it that way. Also, is there nap time?" Thor asked.

"Yes. Kindergarten only meets for part of the day. Class starts at nine and ends at one thirty. Nap time is right around 11:30 right after lunch. Why?" Mrs. Rivers answered. Loki looked down at his feet.

"Well," Thor began slowly, "Loki has issues sleeping."

"Okay, like what?" Mrs. Rivers asked. Thor glanced over to Loki. The boy wasn't looking anyone in the eye. Carpet seemed much more interesting to him at the moment. Although it wasn't actually an interest in the carpet that kept Loki's eyes glued to it. Embarrassment was the glue that kept Loki's eyes fixated on the dull blue carpet. Thor put an arm around Loki's shoulders. Loki laid his head on Thor's arm and sighed softly.

"He has bad nightmares, ma'am. Loki also frequently, er, wets the bed." Loki inhaled sharply, tears pricking at the back of his eyes. His sleeping habits caused him so much shame. Perhaps he was the one who was truly fed up with his own terrible nights. Maybe he and Thor could start a club. Loki smirked a little at the thought of a "Loki can't sleep good" club. That was actually funny. Mrs. Rivers made note of what Thor had said and stood.

"We can talk about all of that closer to spring semester. I'm pleased to say everything checks out. Loki will be attending Miss Barnes' kindergarten class starting in January." Thor shook her hand and Loki took his free hand.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Rivers," Thor said.

"Thank you Mrs. Rivers," Loki repeated. Mrs. Rivers smiled and patted Loki's raven head. A smile broke out on Loki's face for the first time during the meeting (the smirk didn't count as a smile in Loki's mind).

"I believe Loki will enjoy it here," Mrs. Rivers said escorting them to the door. The adults said more things Loki wasn't interested in. Finally, Thor led him out of the office and on to the playground.

"Mrs. Rivers said that the first grade class is on the playground now, Loki. They are only a year above you." Thor told him. Loki peered around the fence to find children around his age running around and screaming on the playground. It had swings and huge climbing toys to play on. Loki danced on his toes a little and stopped holding Thor's hand.

"Can I go play now?" he asked. Thor smiled and nodded.

"Yes. I'll be right here when you're ready to leave." Thor told him, sitting on a bench. Loki grinned and darted away.

The playground was quite big in the eyes of a boy of five. Woodchips covered the entirety of the area. Loki groaned as they continued to break through his shoes and poke his feet. Other children were eyeing him strangely. They obviously didn't recognize him and were curious about him. Loki made his way to the swings. The swings only had one other child playing on them. The child was a little girl with pigtails in her red hair. She, like Loki, had green eyes and she sported a purple dress with black Mary-Jane's. Loki was a bit nervous about introducing himself. Awkwardly, Loki inched to the swing next to hers and sat on it. He began to pump his legs and began to move. It was difficult for Loki not to look at her the whole time. For a few moments at a time, Loki would consider introducing himself but the courage didn't last long enough to act upon it. Finally, the little girl broke the ice by saying, "Hi!" Loki stiffened and looked over at her, a goofy smile on her face.

"H-hi," Loki stammered, his goat moving from his lap to his hands. The girl eyed the goat.

"I like your sheep," she said. Loki scowled at her.

"He's not a sheep. He's a goat." Loki corrected.

"Sorry. What's his name?" She asked.

"Da," Loki answered.

"Neat! I have a stuffed bear at home that my mom won't let me bring to school. Do you go to school here?" She asked. Loki shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. I don' go here yet. I start next 'mester." Loki told her.

"What's a 'mester?" She asked. Loki shrugged.

"I don' know. All I know is tha' I'll go t' school in spring." Loki explained.

"Oh. I'm Lucy." She said, finally giving Loki a name.

"'M Loki," Loki told her.

"That's a funny name," Lucy said, crinkling her nose. Loki stuck his lip out in a pout and crossed his arms.

"Is not! It's a fine name for a prince. Tha's wha' my mummy says." Loki retorted.

"But you're not a prince," Lucy snapped.

"Am so! My brother's Thor." Loki bragged. Lucy's eyes widened.

"No way! You're lying!" Lucy cried.

"Am not! Thor's my big brother!" Loki replied smugly.

"D'you know Iron Man?" Lucy asked eagerly. Loki smiled.

"Yup! I know Mr. Stark real well! I stayed in his big house in New York!" Loki told her.

"That's so cool! Did you hear 'bout how they stopped all those aliens over the summer?" Lucy questioned. Loki broke eye contact for a moment and fought the urge to cry. He knew he shouldn't tell Lucy that it was his fault that aliens attacked New York over the summer. That would definitely hurt their budding relationship.

"Yeah! We had a party on Asgard for Thor's battle!" Loki told her, feeling sad that he missed the party celebrating Thor's victory. It was even sadder that Thor missed his own party due to the fact he was worrying about Loki who was in prison at the time. Lucy cocked her head to the side.

"What's Asgard?" She asked.

"It's where 'm from. 'M livin' with Thor here for a while." Loki explained.

"Can I meet your big brother? After, we can play!" Lucy said, grabbing Loki's free hand. Loki nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! Thor loves meetin' new people!" Loki chirped, leading her to where Thor sat. Pride was filling his little chest as he thought, _I did it. I met people and made a friend. Wait until school starts! Who knows how many friends I'll make then!_ Happiness was all Loki felt for the rest of the day, Thor sharing in it with him.

* * *

**Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As you can probably tell, this story is taking a very different route than the first one. I hope you guys like it! And look at that! Loki successfully made a friend! :) Be sure to remember Lucy; she might pop back up every now and again. If you guys find any inconsistencies or grammar errors, you can let me know in a review. I'll clarify/fix/edit whatever needs it and it really does help me improve! Next week starts Christmas break and I'm hoping that will mean more frequent updates. That's all for now! Thanks for reading and see you guys next time!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**AnimeFan202: **Thor truly does have a lot to learn. The principal being a woman really gave Thor a shock! Lucy is going to be a great friend to Loki. She'll help him out in a lot of ways. Yeah, the other Avengers will be in it! In fact, Tony makes his first appearance in this chapter! :)

**Tundra: **Great question! In just a couple of chapters, Loki will get his first wave of news regarding his parentage. Thor's plan is to tell him when he begins asking questions. :)

* * *

TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY

A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION

CHAPTER THREE: Weekend at Tony's

Thor was quite shocked when he received a call from Tony offering to take Loki for a weekend. It was strange because Tony had not shown much interest in doing much of anything with Loki outside of meals and play time. Thor wondered if Tony actually knew what housing Loki for a weekend actually meant. It meant staying up late when he was scared after a nightmare. It meant washing sheets, changing clothes and wiping runny noses. Taking care of Loki for a weekend meant actually taking care of Loki. Giggles, tears, tantrums and all. Thor wasn't sure if Tony actually understood what he was getting himself into. Loki had never in his young life spent more than six hours away from Thor (not counting his unfortunate prison time) and may not be ready for an entire weekend away from him. But Tony insisted so Thor agreed. He didn't want to hurt Tony's relationship with his and Loki's bizarre family by refusing Tony's invitation. Thor only hoped that both Tony and Loki were up for the challenge.

"What house are you at currently, Stark?" Thor asked a couple of days before Loki was supposed to go over.

"Malibu. Is that alright with you?" Tony teased. Thor rolled his eyes, glad this conversation was over the phone.

"Yes, that is fine," Thor told him.

"I took the liberty to buy Loki a ton of candy. You feed him candy, right?" Tony asked. Thor could tell he was being serious. Candy was a sort of treat for Loki. He didn't get it very often because he got really hyper really quick. Plus he got addicted to it in his first childhood and Thor was trying to avoid that. Loki was eating well so he didn't want to wreck it by allowing Loki candy whenever he wanted it. Since Tony offered however, Thor decided that one weekend couldn't hurt.

"He doesn't get it very often at home but since this is a weekend with you, I'll allow it." Thor said.

"Sweet!" Tony replied sounding pleased, "I am actually pretty excited. The squirt and I are going to do all sorts of fun things. He'll have a blast with me. He'll probably have more fun with me than you and Jane have in a year." Once more Thor rolled his eyes. He was surprised, however, at how genuinely excited Tony was. Thor didn't think he was attached to or interested in spending time with Loki at all. Clearly he was wrong.

"What sparked this, Stark?" Thor asked. Tony's exhale could be heard on the other end.

"Do I need a reason?" Tony retorted, no real venom in his voice.

"I am merely curious," Thor prompted.

"The squirt said he wanted us to be like a family and if I'm 'Uncle Tony' then I should partake in uncle-like activities. Don't uncles spoil the kids rotten for a day or two then send them home?" Tony mused.

"I know not. My father has no brothers to my knowledge." Thor replied.

"Real shame there, pal. Uncles are the greatest." Tony told him.

"Stark," Thor began, "I appreciate your attempt to get to know Loki better, but are you sure you're prepared to deal with him for an entire weekend?" Thor glanced over to the door way to find Loki's foot peeking out from behind the frame.

"Why not? How much trouble could he be?" Thor shook his head and grinned as Loki's giggles sounded in the air from being spotted.

"None at all, Stark. None at all."

It was early Friday morning when Tony picked Loki up from the laboratory. Loki was a strange combination of nerves and excitement. The car looked like a deathtrap and Thor gave Tony a look. There was no way a booster seat would go in the front and there was no back. Loki seemed excited by it but Thor didn't like it. It didn't just look like a deathtrap but a screaming metal deathtrap that could potentially kill Loki on impact. Thor didn't want Loki riding in it, but he knew Tony would do what he wanted. Thor hauled the car seat from Jane's car to Tony's. It was met with a raise brow from Tony.

"What's this?" Tony asked.

"This is a booster seat for Loki. He's too short to ride without it." Thor explained. Tony scoffed.

"Seriously? Is that a law? Does Squirt really have to sit in that?" Tony questioned.

"Yes, Stark. It is the law. He must." Thor said sternly. Tony groaned.

"That's annoying. Oh well. You excited to ride in the front kiddo?" Tony asked, addressing Loki for the first time. Loki nodded eagerly.

"Uh-huh! Is your car fast?" Loki asked.

"The fastest around," Tony replied, Loki squealing in delight.

"Are you ready to go?" Thor asked Loki.

"Yeah, I think so," Loki answered.

"Did you grab Da?" Thor asked.

"Uh-huh," Loki replied, a thumb in his mouth. Thor gently removed it and wrapped his arms around the boy.

"Be good, okay? If you need anything, tell Stark and he'll call me." Thor told him. Loki returned the hug and nuzzled his face into Thor's chest.

"'Kay. I'll be good." Loki said.

"Have fun," Thor said, picking the boy up. He placed Loki in the seat and helped him with the seatbelt. "I'll see you Sunday." Loki smiled and Tony got in the car.

"Later Shakespeare. Squirt and I have places to be." Tony said, his keys in the ignition. The engine turned over and Tony revved it. Thor frowned. That car seemed much too dangerous for Loki. And why did Tony refuse to refer to Loki by name? Thor wasn't sure he liked Tony's nickname for his brother at all. Tony saluted Thor and shifted gears. The car jerked, Loki screamed and Tony sped away. Thor scowled at the speeding car and shook his head.

"Stark is going to kill Loki."

Loki's terrified screams slowly turned into laughs as Tony turned off the road and on to the interstate. The wind was whooshing in his ears and Loki imagined he was on a rollercoaster. Rollercoasters were fun so to avoid being scared he pretended it was a rollercoaster. Tony was speeding (like he did much else) and was muttering about finding a back road so it was curvier. The GPS was recalculating the route and Loki loved the fact the top was down. Wind blowing his hair in all directions was exhilarating. Tony glanced over at the smiling boy and grinned.

"What do you say to livening the party up a bit?" Tony asked over the roar of the wind. Loki looked at him with confusion.

"Wha' d' you mean?" Loki shouted back. Tony merely smirked. The car began drifting toward the off ramp and Loki peered over his open window for a better look. Beneath the interstate was a highly forested area with small mountains nearby. Nearby was a two lane road that looked extremely curvy. Loki laughed wildly as the car swerved passed traffic and exited the interstate on to the forgotten back road.

"You like that, Squirt?" Tony laughed. Loki nodded his head.

"Uh-huh! You drive fast!" Loki exclaimed.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Tony told him. Tony shifted gears and pressed on the gas. The car accelerated and Loki's eyes watered as the wind hit them. It was painful to keep them open, but Loki didn't want to miss a single minute of Tony's crazy driving.

"Uncle Tony?" Loki said after some time of silently cruising along the back road.

"Yeah Squirt?" Tony replied. Loki squirmed a little.

"'M hungry an' I got t' go potty. How long 'til we're at your house?" Loki asked.

"You're hungry?" Tony asked. He forgot that small children ate. He hadn't anticipated making any stops on the way home. Loki nodded his head.

"Uh-huh," Loki said.

"Can it wait? We'll be home in two hours." Tony told him.

"Nuh-uh, I can'. I gotta go potty." Loki answered. Tony groaned and searched for a diner of some kind. To his great surprise, there was a small town just three miles from their position.

"You're in luck, kiddo. A town is coming up soon." Tony said. Loki smiled.

"An' we're gonna eat. Right Uncle Tony?" Loki said. Tony smiled fondly.

"Sure, kid. We'll eat. Maybe even see the local sights of this backwash while we're here." Tony said. Loki giggled and leaned forward to get a good view of the town.

The town was puny. Only a few buildings were scattered on either side of the street. Weeds were poking through the unattended asphalt. Despite its size and condition of the roads, the town was actually very nice. All the buildings looked nice and freshly painted. The grass was green and flowers livened up the windowsills. All and all it was a decent little town on the back road to Malibu. Tony pulled into the parking lot of a little diner and killed the engine. Loki's eyes were wide with curiosity. Tony smiled and patted his leg.

"You haven't seen much of back road America, have you?" Tony asked, undoing Loki's seatbelt. Loki shook his head.

"Nuh-uh," Loki breathed.

"It's nice, huh Squirt? If I wasn't such a city kid, I'd consider moving to a place like this. I bet you that at night you can actually see the stars. Can you see stars in Asgard?" Tony said.

"Yeah. There's lots of stars. Sometimes my mummy will take me an' Thor t' the rainbow bridge an' we watch the stars. I like watchin' the stars, Uncle Tony." Loki told him. Tony exhaled.

"How 'bout that," Tony said, exiting the car. "Ready to eat kiddo?" Loki nodded and opened his own car door. He hoped to the ground and Tony walked over to grab his hand.

"Have you been here b'fore Uncle Tony?" Loki asked as they entered the diner.

"Nope, never been," Tony replied as they headed to a table. Tony placed his jacket in the booth and took Loki to the back. The restrooms were located there and Tony sent Loki in. A couple minutes later, Loki remerged and took Tony's hand. They went back to the table and sat down. A waitress came over and took their drink orders. Loki wanted chocolate milk, but Tony offered to buy him a milkshake instead.

"Wha's a milkshake?" Loki asked. The waitress gave him a funny look and Tony smirked.

"Don't be silly, Squirt. You know what that is. It's frozen cow juice." Tony told him with a wink. Loki giggled.

"Oh, yeah! You tol' me tha' it tastes good! Can I get a chocolate one?" Loki asked.

"'Course you can. I offered, remember? Get the kid a chocolate milkshake. I'll take a butterscotch one if you got 'em." Tony told the waitress. Recognition flashed in her eyes and Tony rolled his. "Could you not make a scene," Tony paused and read the nametag on her chest, "Betty? Squirt and I are spending the weekend together and I don't want the paparazzi to ruin it." The waitress, Betty, turned bright read and nodded.

"O-one butterscotch and one chocolate milkshake coming right up," Betty stammered, walking away.

"Uncle Tony?" Loki asked.

"Yeah?" Tony replied.

"Wha's the pepperoni?" Loki asked. Tony chuckled lightly.

"You mean the 'paparazzi'?" Tony corrected. Loki nodded his head.

"Yeah. Wha' is that?" Loki questioned.

"Annoying people who follow you around and want your picture," Tony explained.

"D' they follow you aroun'?" Loki asked.

"Yup, all the time. Everyone wants pictures of me. I'm kind of a big deal, Squirt." Tony told him. Loki's face fell. Tony noticed and said, "Something wrong?" Loki shrugged.

"Are they gonna bug you?" Loki asked miserably.

"Course not. This weekend is ours. No one is going to bother us." Tony reassured him. Loki smiled brightly.

"I wan' glasses like those!" Loki exclaimed suddenly, pointing at Tony's sunglasses. Tony glanced down at them and smirked.

"I think we can make that happen."

After lunch, Tony took Loki around the town just as he said. They visited all the little souvenir shops in town. Some of the merchandise was ridiculous of course. Tony pointed out magazines featuring the famed Avengers and bought one just so he and Loki could draw moustaches on all of them. To Loki's great delight, they found a pair of sunglasses similar to Tony's and bought them. Loki sported them proudly and even went as far as to fix his hair like Tony's. Tony took notice and helped the little boy slick his hair back in a Stark-like fashion. Once they were done looking at the shops, Tony overheard people taking about some lame tourist trap. Tony just loved that sort of "all American scam" so he naturally got directions. As luck would have it the tourist trap was on the way to Malibu, making it somewhat more acceptable to stop there. The engine came to life and both Tony and Loki pulled the sunglasses over their eyes. Tony smirked at Loki's obvious emulation and shifted gears. The car jerked and sped off, Loki laughing gleefully as they went.

The tourist trap was one of the worst Tony had ever seen, yet one of the best. It was a rundown zoo sporting exotic (probably illegally imported) animals as well as a museum of "America's Great Leaders". Tony had a hunch as to what that "museum" contained, but he was in the mood to check it out anyway. Loki was giddy with excitement of course. Some of these animals he had never seen in person. Living on Asgard did have its limitations. Tony paid the admission fee for himself (Loki got in free) and took Loki's hand. They went around to all of the exhibits, Tony taking pictures with his phone as they went. He sent them to Jane and Pepper, captioning them in a humorous fashion. When Loki got licked by a giraffe, Tony sent that picture to the women and he sent it to Bruce and to Steve as well. A minute later Steve replied saying, "I saw the picture but how do I open it on my phone?" causing Tony to roll his eyes. He didn't reply and instead wiped giraffe spit off of Loki's face. After the went over to the petting zoo area and Loki got to ride a llama as well as play with baby camels. The coolest thing about the zoo though was how close up they could get to the big cats. The lions were so close, Loki almost stuck his arm through the bars to pet them before a random lady stopped him. She scolded Tony about watching children in public places and Tony just made fun of her the whole time. Loki giggled about it and Tony decided it was time to check out the museum after that.

The museum was just as Tony suspected. It was a place trying to portray common household items as things actual American heroes and legends once owned. The worst one they saw was a faux Captain America shield, causing both of them to laugh. Tony got someone to take a picture of them in front of them and sent it to Steve saying, "I think you lost your shield. Don't worry; Loki and I found it". After exploring the "museum" Tony decided it was time to finish the trek home so they could make it back for dinner. Loki was disappointed of course, but he didn't whine about it. They got into the car and drove off, laughing about the museum for a good hour or so.

At precisely five in the evening Tony's car came to a stop. He killed the engine and got out of the car. Loki was bouncing with excitement. Pepper had come out to help carry Loki's things. Before she could grab anything, Loki ran and gave her a big hug. She was startled at first, but returned the embrace. She kissed Loki's raven hair and he giggled madly. Tony gave him a mock glare and mutter something along the lines of, "Trying to steal my girl Squirt?". Pepper rolled her eyes at him and kissed Tony on the cheek. There were only two bags. One contained clothes and the other contained toys. Loki begged to carry one so Pepper gave him the lighter of the two. Tony gestured for them to follow and so they did. A little gasp sounded as the entered Tony's home. Loki's eyes grew wide as the sun flowed in from all the windows, the modern décor matching the room perfectly. He squirmed a little and dropped the bag. The waterfall in the room was calling to him. Loki hurried over and put his hands under the cool water. Water escaped in between his fingers and began to trickle down his arms. Tony walked over and squatted down next to the boy.

"You like that Squirt?" Tony asked. Loki glanced over and smiled.

"Yup! I like gettin' wet!" Loki told him.

"I've got all the best toys, kiddo. Go look out the window and tell me what you see." Loki nodded and darted over. A staggered breath was heard and Tony made his way over. Pepper trailed behind, a smile on her face. The view was breathtaking. Loki hadn't seen anything that beautiful since being on Asgard. The view of the beach was gorgeous. White sand glistened in the sun, the light reflecting of the light blue water.

"Can we go there?" Loki asked, his face pressed up against the glass. Tony put an arm around Pepper's waist and chuckled.

"Sure. I'll even take you down to my work shop if you like." Tony told him. Loki's face lit up like a light.

"Is tha' where you build all those neat things?" Loki asked gleefully.

"Yup. I can show you tomorrow after we hit the beach. Sound good Squirt?" Tony said. Loki nodded and gave a thumbs up.

"Sure does Uncle Tony!"

The evening was uneventful. All three of them ate dinner together. After, they stayed indoors and watched movies until Loki began to get sleepy. Tony and Pepper fought slightly over who would give him a bath, Pepper losing in the end. She cradled the sleepy boy close and Loki talked tired nonsense into her ear. His breathing became soft as they approached the bathroom, Pepper sighing slightly. It might be difficult to give a sleeping little boy a bath. Then again it might be easier since he wasn't awake to fuss or play. Pepper undressed him and placed him in the warm water. Loki stirred slightly, but didn't wake up. The bath was over in five minutes. Pepper dressed Loki in his favorite cow printed pajamas. She tucked Loki into the guest room bed. Pepper kissed his forehead and left the room, the feeling that she forgot something nagging at her.

"Tony?" Pepper said.

"Hey," Tony replied, shutting his laptop. "You alright?" Pepper shrugged.

"Did Loki forget something at home?" Pepper asked.

"I don't think so. Jane is very thorough. Why?" Tony questioned.

"I don't know. I just feel like I'm forgetting something." Tony smirked and stood. He walked over to her and pulled her close.

"I'm sure it's fine. You are just worrying about having company, probably. Relax, Pepper." Tony told her. He began to massage her tense shoulders and Pepper sighed.

"You're right," Pepper said softly, "You should relax too, Tony." Tony stopped massaging.

"I…what are you talking about?" Tony asked. Pepper turned to face him.

"You know what I'm talking about, Tony! You can't keep it all inside! Eventually it'll kill you!" Pepper cried.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Tony said shortly. Pepper crossed her arms.

"Why did you take Loki in this weekend? Did you think it would take my mind off of worrying about you?" Pepper asked.

"No. Why would you think that?" Tony snapped.

"Because I know you! You don't think you should allow yourself to feel! But Tony, baby, after what happened in New York…" Pepper trailed off as Tony flinched.

"Don't talk about it. I'm…I'm going to bed." Tony said, walking off. Pepper sighed and slipped onto a chair.

"Well that went well," she muttered. A sniffle filled the air. Pepper's back straightened. Had Tony finally cracked? Pepper stood. "Hello?" She called. The shuffle of feet was heard and Loki emerged from behind the corner. Pepper blinked and met him halfway. His arms were in the air, his face streaked with tears. Pepper picked him up and said, "What's wrong buddy?"

"I heard you an' Uncle Tony fightin'," Loki whispered tiredly.

"I'm sorry," Pepper said guiltily.

"Is Uncle Tony okay? I heard you talk 'bout New York." Loki asked. Pepper grimaced. Loki would surely blame himself if he knew what Tony had been dealing with since June. It seemed a better alternative to avoid the subject all together so they could all have a good weekend together.

"Tony's fine, buddy, I promise. Want to try warm milk? It'll help you sleep." Pepper offered. Loki nodded sleepily.

"'Kay," Loki replied. Pepper carried him into the kitchen and warmed a small glass of milk for him. The microwave beeped and Pepper grabbed the cup. She handed to Loki who drank it slowly. Once he was finished his eyelids began drooping. Pepper took the cup away from him then carried him to bed. She tucked him in then decided to retire herself.

Tony woke up with a start late that night. Pepper was still asleep next to him, blissfully unaware. Tony exhaled loudly and sat up. He buried his face in his hands and sat still for a while. When he decided that he wouldn't be sleeping again that night, Tony got up. He stumbled down the dark hallway and stopped when he heard crying. Tony drowsily searched for the source of the sound. A closet door was cracked slightly. Tony walked over.

"Squirt?" Tony asked softly. A sharp breath was taken followed by the rustle of clothes and paper. Tony opened the door and found Loki hiding in the closet. The clothes hid the boy from view for the most part. Only his feet were visible. Tony sat down outside the door with crossed legs. "Why are you in the closet?"

"I-I…" Loki whimpered. Tony inched closer.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Tony asked. Loki nodded. "But," Tony continued, "That's not why you're in the closet." Loki nodded.

"Uh-huh," Loki whispered.

"Why are you in the closet Squirt?" Tony asked again.

"You'll be mad at me," Loki whispered. Tony sighed.

"I won't be mad," Tony replied. Loki began crying.

"You'll tease me like you did in your big house in New York," Loki cried softly.

"What? No I won't." Tony told him defensively. Loki looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "Come on Squirt. You can tell me." Loki took a deep breath.

"I had a accident," Loki admitted softly.

"In bed?" Tony asked. Loki shook his head and he cried harder.

"No," Loki said, his voice cracking. "I didn' mean t'."

"Just tell me what happened kiddo. You don't like sitting in the closet do you?" Tony said gently. Loki shook his head.

"I got up t' go p-potty but I didn' make it," Loki explained.

"After your bad dream?" Tony asked.

"Uh-huh," Loki said.

"Come on, Squirt. Come out of the closet. Let's get you cleaned up." Tony said.

"'M sorry. You didn' know I still had bad dreams did you Uncle Tony?" Loki muttered miserably.

"Wanna know something kiddo?" Tony asked. Loki glanced up.

"Wha'?"

"I have nightmares too," Tony admitted. Loki wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"Really?" Loki asked. Tony took a shaky breath.

"Yeah. I don't sleep anymore really because they're so bad. So if you need to talk about a bad dream I'm here to listen." Tony told him. Loki crawled over to him and gave him a hug.

"'M s'rry I gave you nightmares," Loki whispered in his ear. Tony sat stunned for a moment. How in the world did Loki know his nightmares were about New York? That wasn't possible. Unless he overheard his and Pepper's conversation earlier that night. Loki clung on to Tony, trying to convince Tony of how sorry he was.

"It's okay, Squirt. Let's get you cleaned up." Tony said, standing. Tony carried Loki to the bathroom where Loki received a quick bath to wash the smell of stale urine off of him. Tony then helped the tired boy dress in his footie fish pajamas. They were both exhausted, Tony dragging his feet all the way to the guest room. He put Loki in bed, the boy whimpering when Tony put him down. "What's wrong now Squirt?" Tony asked with a yawn.

"Coul' you stay 'til I fall asleep? 'M scared." Loki whispered. Tony nodded and sat down on the bed.

"'Course I will," Tony said. They were both asleep within minutes.

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**Tony's here! Yay! He and Loki are clearly very close which is a very good thing. Tony may not know how to handle him, but he loves him and that's what matters. :) I might get another chapter up before Christmas, but if I don't, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you! See you next time! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**LeilaSecretSmith: **Thanks for the advice! I appreciate the feedback!

**1CharmedPhoenix: **I was afraid that Sif seemed a wee bit OOC. I'm hoping in this story she won't be. Thanks for all the feedback! :D

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TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY

A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION

CHAPTER FOUR: To the Beach

The next morning Tony awoke suddenly. He didn't remember falling asleep and was shocked to find Loki curled up next to him. The boy was snoring slightly, drooling escaping his lips. Tony tried to get up but discovered that Loki had a death grip on his arm. Tony sighed and laid his head down on the pillow. It was odd. Sleeping with Loki kept the nightmares at bay. Okay so that may not have been the reason but it was a nice thought. The real reason was probably Tony's sheer exhaustion. Loki was probably equally exhausted and that's what kept both their nightmares away. Loki moaned and rolled over, releasing Tony's hand. Tony stood and stared at the boy. It was still weird to think that just under five months ago this little boy was a man ordering aliens to attack New York. Tony assumed it was weird because just as Thor had said Tony now viewed the man and child as separate people. Loki rolled back over and blinked his eyes open.

"Moring Squirt," Tony said. Loki's bottom lip trembled and he began crying. Shocked, Tony sat down and pulled him into a hug. "What's wrong?"

"I miss Thor," Loki whimpered. Tony hauled the boy onto his lap.

"Hey, it's alright," Tony told him.

"'M wet," Loki cried softly.

"That's fine. You can change in a minute." Tony said.

"Sorry," Loki said softly.

"No need to apologize. You're wearing a Pull-Up, remember? The bed's not wet at all and neither am I." Tony told him. Loki sniffled and glanced up at Tony.

"You stayed all night?" Loki asked.

"Sure did kiddo," Tony replied. Loki allowed a small smile.

"Thanks," Loki said, shifting positions, "you didn' have t'."

"Yeah, I know," Tony began, "but I wanted to."

"Wha' are we gonna do t'day?" Loki asked.

"Whatever you want to do," Tony replied with a smirk. Loki smirked back, Tony's chest filling with something he could only think was pride. His Squirt was really growing on him.

After breakfast, Loki decided that he wanted to go to the beach. He had never been to one and was fascinated by it. Tony also mentioned a pier nearby that had carnival rides and games. Loki wanted to go there too. Pepper packed up beach stuff while Tony helped Loki to apply sunscreen. Loki fidgeted as Tony worked, Tony losing patience little by little. Yes, the beach was cool. Yes, Loki had never been. Of course the boy was excited. But contrary to Loki's belief, it was not going anywhere. Tony sighed in irritation as Loki squirmed out of his reach yet again. "Squirt," Tony complained, "hold still or the sun will fry you up like bacon."

"I like bacon," Loki responded.

"You won't like skin bacon," Tony muttered under his breath.

"Uncle Tony? How come the sun is gonna burn my skin?" Loki asked.

"The sun is really, really hot and if you are outside long enough it will burn you." Tony explained.

"But why?" Loki asked. Tony rolled his eyes.

"It just does, Squirt. I'll explain when you understand the solar system." Tony said, killing the conversation. Loki blinked but said nothing. Tony turned Loki around and attempted to put sunscreen on the boy's face. Loki squirmed away. "Loki!" Tony groaned.

"Don'! I don' wan' it in my eyes!" Loki cried.

"I won't get in your eyes if you hold still!" Tony snapped. Loki flinched and looked away.

"Sorry," he said softly.

"It's fine. Now come here." Loki walked over and found himself giggling as the sunscreen was applied to his face. Tony smiled and asked; "Now we're all smiles Squirt?"

"It tickles," Loki giggled. Tony chuckled lightly.

"Told ya I wouldn't get it in your eyes," Tony teased lightly. Pepper appeared in the doorway.

"You guys ready to go?" she asked. Loki nodded eagerly.

"Uh-huh! Let's go!" Loki exclaimed, darting away. Tony stood up straight and sighed.

"I haven't even given him any candy yet," Tony mused, Pepper beside him.

"This might be a sign to avoid the sugar," Pepper commented. Tony chuckled.

"Maybe. But I'm probably going to ignore it." Tony told her, following after him. Pepper sighed and shook her head, trailing behind Tony.

They got the beach at around ten in the morning. The car was vibrating as Loki shook excitedly in his seat. It was a nice fall day. The weather was nice and the sun was out. People had already picked spots nearest to the shore. Tony frowned at that. He really wanted to be near to the shore for Loki's sake. He didn't want the little boy wandering off on his own. Smirking, Tony killed the car and got out. Loki bolted out of the car, Pepper grabbing his arm before he could run off. They grabbed all of their belongings and made the trek down to the shore line. Tony pushed through the crowds of people not bothering to apologize to them as he went. Hot sand oozed between Loki's toes and he squealed in delight. All the smells and sights were new to him. A seagull swooped down and Loki's eyes widened. Tony smirked slightly and gently nudged Loki.

The boy looked up at him and slowly said, "Huh?" Tony laughed and gestured toward the ocean.

"Look head of you, Squirt," Tony told him. Loki's eyes followed Tony's gesture and he gasped. Never had he seen something so beautiful. It looked like the water stretched out forever. Maybe it did.

"Does it go on fore'er?" Loki asked.

"I don't think so, kid. But hey; maybe it does and I just haven't looked hard enough." Tony replied. Loki's brow furrowed in confusion as they slowed to a stop.

"Is this a good spot?" Pepper asked. Tony glanced around and nodded.

"Yeah. We're close to the water." Tony replied. Pepper set the items down and began to open the beach umbrella. Loki's eyes widened in wonder as the umbrella opened, the colors dimly shining on to the sand. A beach towel was lowered on to the sand as well as a cooler full of juice boxes and liquor.

"Loki? Do you want some juice?" Pepper asked, opening the cooler. Loki nodded eagerly and sat down next to her.

"Thank you," he said, taking the juice box. Tony joined them on the beach towel. He began to rummage through the bag and pulled out shovels and buckets.

"Ever made a sandcastle Squirt?" Tony asked. Loki looked over his juice box and shook his head.

"No," Loki began, "wha's a sandcastle?"

"A castle made of sand," Tony teased, earning a glare from Pepper.

"Oh! Why do people do tha' Uncle Tony?" Loki asked.

"I have no idea, kid. It's fun, though." Tony told him.

"'Kay. I wanna go swimmin' in the ocean first." Loki said, the straw in his mouth.

"Ocean it is," Tony replied.

Once Loki was done with his juice box, Tony and Pepper began blowing up the floaties that Thor demanded Loki wear if he were to enter the water at any point out side of a bathtub. One of the floaties was a pair of water wings with fish designs on them. The other was an inflatable ring with the same design. Loki also had a pair of water shoes to wear if he wanted to. When the inflatables were finally filled with air Tony and Pepper began to help Loki put them on. Loki didn't like how the water wings limited his mobility but he didn't whine about it. All he really wanted to do was go swimming in the ocean. Whining didn't seem like a good way to spend his time. Loki wanted to take his goat with him. Pepper had to kindly explain that it wasn't a good idea to take the goat into the ocean. It might get lost or ruined due to the sea water and she knew Loki would be very upset if that happened to his Da. In the end Loki grumpily agreed to leave the goat in the bag and away from the ocean. The three finally began to make their way to the ocean. Tony could tell that Loki was excited but could also tell that anxiety was beginning to consume him. The boy's body had begun to shake violently so Tony scooped him up and Loki instantly latched on to him.

"You sure you want to go swimming Squirt?" Tony asked softly.

"Uh-huh," Loki replied, "'M j'st scared tha' 'm gonna float away."

"Don't worry about that, kiddo. Pepper and I won't let you float away. You're safe with us." Tony reassured him. Loki smiled slightly and glanced down. Waves were beating gently against the sand. Loki watched intently as they waves moved back and forth, back and forth.

"I wanna get in now," Loki declared, squirming to get out of Tony's grip. Tony chuckled and released the boy.

"Have at it, Squirt. Pepper and I are right behind you." Tony told him. Loki nodded and cautiously placed a tiny foot into the water. It was colder than Loki had expected and he flinched in surprise. Collecting himself, Loki slowly put his other foot in the water and shivered as it ran over his foot in the motion of the ocean. Slowly Loki moved from the shore, his feet still touching the bottom of the ocean. He paused for a moment and squatted down, putting his hands in the water. The water glided passed his fingers and Loki dove in deeper. His nose was just inches from the water. He took a breath and nearly inhaled some of the water. Tiny fingers were digging around in the sand. Loki was trying to understand this strange place. A gasp of surprise sounded as he discovered something hard buried in the sand. Loki's fingers wrapped around it and he pulled it out of the water. It sort of looked like a rock, but was pastel colored. Loki ran his fingers over the strange ridges. He had no idea what he was holding, but realized that more of them were hiding in the sand.

"Uncle Tony?" Loki called glancing over his shoulder. "Wha's this?" Loki held the strange rock so Tony could see. Tony squatted down next to Loki and a smile parted his lips.

"That's a sea shell, Loki," Tony told him.

"It's really pretty," Loki commented. "Where do they come from?"

"Well," Tony began, "snails live in the ocean and when they outgrow their shells they shed them and the waves bring them here." Tony hoped that was a good way to explain it. Loki seemed to understand.

"Wow! I didn' know snails are in the ocean! Tha's cool! I wanna keep the shells!" Loki exclaimed happily.

"I can take them for you," Pepper offered. Loki nodded eagerly and hurried over to her. She took the shell and Loki went back over to Tony.

"Can I go under the water?" Loki asked.

"Sure Squirt. Just don't sniff or open your mouth. The water tastes gross. Here." Tony handed him a pair of goggles. Loki put them on and looked up at Tony for approval.

"Can I go now?" Loki asked. Tony chuckled at him. Loki looked pretty funny with all his inflatables and goggles wrapped around his head.

"You sure can. Don't swim out too far." Tony warned. Loki giggled.

"I can' swim, Uncle Tony," Loki informed him.

"You can't?" Tony questioned. Loki shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. I can'. Tha's why Thor wan'ed me t' wear all these floaties." Loki explained.

"Want me to teach you Squirt?" Tony offered. Loki's face brightened like a light.

"Yeah!" Loki cried happily. Tony smiled and wadded over to the boy. He grabbed Loki's waist and shifted him so he was horizontal.

"Don't be scared, okay? I won't let anything happen to you." Tony told him.

"'Kay," Loki replied, his face wearing a look of determination. He was going to swim and his uncle Tony was going to teach him how.

It took a while but Loki finally got the hang of swimming. He was a very weak swimmer but he felt very accomplished and proud because he could now swim. Tony and Pepper praised him heavily for his achievement and knew that it would be very hard to separate Loki from the ocean. Going underwater was Loki's favorite part. It was easier to see the seashells that way. Pepper's hands contained over fifteen shells that Loki had collected. He also liked swimming as far as he could then swim back to Tony as fast as he could. Tony liked to dunk Loki under the water, much to Loki's delight. After sometime, Loki began to get hungry so they all left the water and went back to the beach towel. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches awaited them in the cooler. Loki was a bit crabby but once he started eating, he quieted down. They chatted as they ate and Loki informed them that he wanted to build a sandcastle. Tony seemed thrilled and agreed right away.

When lunch had been eaten, Tony and Loki grabbed the shovels and buckets. They hurried away from where Pepper was and found a spot near the water to build. Tony instructed Loki to fill the bucket up with wet sand. Nodding, Loki toddled away and squatted down near the water's edge. Waves rolled over Loki's feet as his hands grabbed clumps of wet sand. Once his bucket was full Loki stood and picked it up by the handle. He grunted as he lifted it. It was heavier than he had expected. Loki waddled over to Tony and the bucket hit the sand with a soft thud.

"Good job, Squirt," Tony praised.

"Wha' do we do know?" Loki asked.

"First we dig the mote. You can do that and I'll get more sand. The bigger the mote is the bigger the castle will be." Tony instructed.

"'Kay," Loki replied, grabbing a shovel. Tony smiled fondly and took the sand bucket back to the water.

Around two in the afternoon Loki announced he wanted to go to the pier Tony had mentioned on Friday. Tony asked if Loki wanted to wait until after dinner to go. When Loki asked why, Tony offered to take Loki to his workshop and show the boy his latest armor design. Thrilled, Loki agreed instantly. He made sure that Tony and Pepper knew he still wanted to go to the pier and ride the rides. They drove back to the house and Tony told Loki to hop in the shower and get dressed before he went downstairs. Loki agreed and hurried off to shower. Tony and Pepper put everything from the beach trip away and cuddled together until Loki was finished. Loki announced his presence ten minutes later and Tony led him down the stairs. The door opened and Loki gasped. All around him was scattered tools and parts to various mechanical devices. The walls were lined with glass cases, each one containing a suit. It was clear to Loki that Tony had some real free time.

"Wow," Loki breathed.

"You know Squirt, I'm working on something right now. Interested in helping me?" Tony asked. Loki's face lit up instantly. He nodded and began bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Uh-huh!" Loki cried excitedly. Tony hauled him on to his shoulders and pranced around in an attempt to get Loki to laugh. It worked of course, Loki's giggles filling the workshop almost instantly. Loki pulled on Tony's hair.

"Ow Squirt!" Tony exclaimed.

"Be a el'phant!" Loki commanded with a laugh.

"Okay. I'll be an elephant all the way to the work bench." Tony replied. Loki laughed as Tony stomped his feet and imitated an elephant. Tony stomped all the way to the work bench. Tony grabbed Loki and hoisted him off of his shoulders and on to the work bench. Loki's feet swayed back and forth as Tony prepared to begin working. All sorts of tools and wires were scattered across the bench. Loki wasn't sure what any of it did, he only knew that he wanted to know.

"Wha's tha'?" Loki asked pointing at a strange flat square with raised dots on it. A smile broke out on Tony's face as he glanced over.

"That is a circuit board, Squirt," Tony answered, picking it up.

"Wha' does it do?" Loki questioned.

"Well," Tony began, "it uses electricity to make things like computers work. You know what a computer is right kiddo?" Loki's brow knitted together.

"Kinda," Loki replied, "I know tha' Miss Foster has one but I've ne'er seen it b'fore."

"Is that so?" Tony mused, opening a lap top. Loki glanced over in confusion as Tony began furiously typing on it. The screen was bright and Loki had never seen anything like it before in his life. Although Loki thought the ocean was much more interesting, the laptop was pretty cool too.

"Wha' are you doin'?" Loki asked as Tony quit typing and shoved the screen at Loki.

"Just watch," Tony instructed. Loki turned his eyes to the screen and found a tabby cat playing a keyboard. Giggles erupted from the boy as the video played. Loki was physically unable to speak because he was laughing too hard. Tony laughed along with him, though he was laughing more at Loki than the video.

"Let's watch another one," Loki laughed after the video had ended. Tony smirked and began typing again.

After introducing Loki to the wonders of YouTube and the internet, Tony was finally ready to work. A new model of the suit was under construction and Loki wanted to help Tony build it. It was nice since Tony usually worked alone and he had a second pair of hands. Plus Loki talked a lot so it kept Tony's mind of off what he usually thought of when he was working. Loki did simple tasks like handing Tony things he needed. Of course he wanted to do more but Tony wouldn't let him. He couldn't risk Loki getting hurt because he let him wire a circuit. Thor would have a conniption if Tony did that. Light reflected off the scattered bits of metal as they worked. Loki asked lots of questions, trying to understand how Tony's suits worked in the first place. There were a lot of complicated words that Tony used that Loki didn't understand. It made him even more confused than he was going into it. But for some reason, seeing the inside of the suit made it seem like it made more sense even though Loki still had no clue how it worked. Perhaps it was the association of the two. Not that it mattered anyway. Tony had begun to slowly and carefully explain the basics behind how the technology worked. Loki was both baffled and fascinated by how Tony managed to create such a piece of machinery. By all means the suit shouldn't even exist but it did. It existed merely because Tony was brilliant enough to make it work. Loki's chest swelled with pride as he looked upon Tony's marvelous creation. His Uncle Tony was the greatest in the nine realms and he knew it.

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**Happy 2014! Hope everyone's Christmas/Holidays/New Year was amazing! Here's to a fantastic year! Hope you enjoy this chapter! :D See you all next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Dedcutionist: **Here's the update friend:) Thank you for your reviews!

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TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY

A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION

CHAPTER FIVE: Adoption Starts with A

The rest of Loki's weekend at Tony's went by faster than both Loki and Tony wanted it to. Tony and Pepper took Loki to the pier and enjoyed all the games, food, and rides with Loki. Fireworks went off at the end of the night and Loki watched in awe as they exploded. The sound scared him at first but he was quickly mesmerized by the colors in the sky and forgot his fear. Loki fell asleep on the way back to the house and Tony reluctantly got him ready for bed since Pepper had done it the night before. Except for one nightmare, Loki slept soundly. He was exhausted from his day at the beach and night at the pier. Tony was equally tired and he too slept through the night for the first time in months. When morning came Loki sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. Sun was pouring in from the windows and JARVIS-the computer that runs Tony's house- was telling him what time it was. Loki was shocked to find that it was already nine in the morning.

"It's already nine?" Loki thought out loud.

"Yes Loki," JARVIS replied, "Your foster brother Thor hasn't arrived yet." Loki's brow furrowed in confusion. Foster brother? What did that mean?

"Wha' does foster brother mean?" Loki asked.

"It means that one of you was adopted into your family," JARVIS explained.

"'Dopted? Wha's 'dopted?" Loki pondered.

"It means that your parents are not the ones that created you," JARVIS explained.

"I don' understand," Loki blurted, feeling uncomfortable.

"Would you like to know what is available for breakfast?" JARVIS offered.

"Uh, yeah," Loki replied. He got out of bed and dressed as JARVIS told him what he could have for breakfast. The conversation he had with JARVIS was still bothering him. What did JARVIS mean when he said that Thor was his foster brother? Loki looked in the mirror in the bathroom. He had black hair. Pictures of his family were now flowing through his mind. No one but him in his family had black hair. He also had green eyes. Once again he thought about his family and realized that no one else had green eyes but him. Everyone had blonde hair and blue eyes. Though one could argue that Frigga's eyes were more gray than blue, Loki didn't make that differentiation. Why was he so different? Was there something wrong with him? Or could it be that he was adopted? Loki still wasn't even sure what adopted meant. His face disappeared from the mirror as he left the room. Loki was very troubled. When he got to the table, Tony instantly noticed that Loki was upset.

"What's wrong, Squirt?" Tony asked. Pepper was looking too now.

"Um," Loki began now playing with his pancakes, "wha's 'dopted?" Pepper choked on her coffee a little. Tony's eyes widened as he realized that Thor hadn't told Loki that he was adopted yet. Glancing at Pepper Tony's chest filled with uncertainty. How could he tell Loki? Should he even tell Loki? Pepper looked nervous and seemed to be silently telling Tony not to say anything. This was a job for Thor.

"Why don't you ask Thor when he comes to get you? He could explain better than I could." Tony told him. Loki shook his head.

"But you're smarter than Thor is Uncle Tony!" Loki cried in protest.

"That's not very nice," Pepper scolded lightly, finally able to speak again.

"But he is!" Loki retorted.

"Listen, Squirt, there are some things that Thor would want to explain to you because you're his little brother. This is one of them." Tony explained. Loki thought on it. That seemed like it made sense. But it also made Loki very nervous. If adoption was something that Thor wanted to talk to Loki about it was possible that Loki was adopted. For some reason, that made Loki sad. He didn't want to be adopted.

"'Kay," Loki mumbled, not sharing his worries with the adults.

"Squirt, it's okay. Thor will answer all your questions." Tony said gently. Loki had tears in his eyes. He really didn't want to be adopted.

"'M scared of wha' 'doption means," Loki admitted softly.

"Don't be," Pepper said, "It's not a bad thing."

"Yeah. Eat your breakfast kiddo. Thor and Jane will be here in a little while to pick you up." Tony added, killing the conversation.

"'Kay," Loki replied softly.

Loki was unable to eat due to nerves. Milk was the only thing in his stomach when Thor and Jane arrived around ten thirty that morning. Once everything was packed and ready to go, Thor asked if Loki was well behaved. Tony and Pepper assured him that Loki was but warned Thor that Loki was asking about adoption. Thor sighed and nodded. He knew that eventually Loki would ask. Loki needed to know his true parentage. Thor had a feeling that would prevent the nasty feelings that caused so much damage previously if Loki knew as a child. The problem was that Thor wasn't sure how to explain it to Loki. He and Jane talked about it in hushed tones on the way back the Jane's laboratory. Loki was too preoccupied with Jane's iPad to notice that they were talking anyway. There were movies on the iPad and Loki was currently too engrossed in _How to Train Your Dragon_ to realize that Thor and Jane were currently pondering ways of explaining adoption to Loki. It was a very touchy subject indeed. The worst part was Thor wasn't sure if he could get a hold of his parents. He knew that they would want at least one of them to do the explaining. The problem was Odin and Frigga were both extremely busy people and their time had to be strictly scheduled. It seemed Thor was on his own.

It was a little past three in the afternoon when they arrived back at the laboratory. Loki had fallen asleep at some point on the way. Thor carried him in and placed him in bed. Instead of leaving Thor sat on Loki's bed and sighed heavily. Stuffed animals were scattered all over the bed, Loki's prized goat under Loki's arm. Thor began to shuffle through Loki's bags from his stay and noticed that Tony had taken the liberty of purchasing a new goat for Loki. It was clear that despite Tony's efforts Da was still Loki's favorite. Thor rolled his eyes and continued to dig. A plastic bag filled to the brim with what Thor could only assume were rocks was jammed in between Loki's clothes. He studied it for a moment and put it aside. He would ask Loki about it later. Loki stirred a little and sat up. Sleep was evident in his eyes as he turned to face Thor.

"Have a nice nap?" Thor asked. Loki's hair was sticking up in all directions as he nodded mutely. Loki crawled over to Thor and sat in his lap. Thor kissed his raven hair and held the boy close. Silence fell as they sat together. Finally Loki broke the silence.

"Thor? Why am I the only one who has black hair an' green eyes in our family?" Loki asked innocently. Thor bit his lip. Of course this would be how Loki began to speak after not speaking for so long.

"Well…why do you think you have black hair and green eyes and no one else does?" Thor prompted.

"I don' know, Thor. JARVIS said tha' you're my foster brother an' tha' being foster brothers means one of us is 'dopted. 'M scared tha' I have black hair an' green eyes 'cause 'm 'dopted." Loki told him.

"Loki, what do you know about the word 'adopted'?" Thor asked.

"It starts with 'a'," Loki quickly replied.

"Very good Loki," Thor praised, "What else do you know?" Loki shrugged.

"Nothin'," Loki admitted softly.

"Loki, I'm going to explain what adoption means, okay?" Thor told him softly.

"'Kay," Loki said.

"Sometimes mummies and daddies cannot have children of their own. When that happens, they find other mummies and daddies who have children that cannot be cared for. Then the mummies and daddies who cannot have children take care of the children that cannot be cared for. Understand so far?" Thor explained.

"Why can' mummies an' daddies take care of their children Thor?" Loki asked.

"A lot of reasons. Sometimes they don't have enough food. Sometimes the children don't even have parents, Loki." Thor told him.

"Tha's awful!" Loki cried.

"I know it is. Loki, when you were a baby there was a terrible war between Asgard and…" Thor wasn't sure if he should tell Loki now that he was a Frost Giant or not. In the end, he decided that was a conversation that Loki would have with Odin and Frigga when he was older. Thor took a deep breath and continued, "And another realm. Father stormed the castle and heard the cries of a baby. He searched and found a tiny little baby with green eyes. The baby had been…left behind and he thought the baby's mummy and daddy had died. So he took the baby in and gave it a home. Loki, that baby was you." Loki didn't speak for a while.

"Thor," Loki finally said after some time. His voice had broken as he said Thor's name and Thor suspected a breakdown was imminent. "Does tha' mean tha' mummy isn' my mummy?" Thor pulled him in closer.

"Of course not, Loki. When mummy and daddy adopted you that meant they wanted to be your parents. You are as much their son as I am." Thor told him.

"Why didn' my other parents stay with me when there was a war?" Loki asked.

"I'm not sure Loki. You should ask father sometime. He'd probably know." Thor said. Jane had warned against giving Loki false information of any sort. She said to be vague enough that he wasn't lying and to be sure to tell Loki the basics. Thor thought he had done pretty well.

"Are you 'dopted too Thor? Can mummy an' daddy have babies?" Loki wondered. Thor chuckled lightly.

"I am not adopted, Loki. That's what JARVIS meant when he said we were foster brothers. You're my brother because mummy and daddy adopted you. It doesn't make us any less brothers than people who aren't adopted. Understand?" Thor explained.

"I think so. We're still brothers e'en if 'm 'dopted?" Loki said.

"That's right, Loki. You're so smart!" Thor praised. Loki giggled lightly.

"I love you, Thor. 'M glad mummy an' daddy picked me t' be your brother when I was a baby." Loki told him. Thor hugged him even tighter.

"I'm glad they did too," Thor replied.

"Tomorrow Thor 'm gonna make mummy an' daddy a card," Loki said suddenly.

"Why is that Loki? What for?" Thor pondered.

"'M gonna make 'em a 'thanks for 'dopting me card," Loki told him happily.

"That seems like a wonderful idea," Thor replied.

"Can we put a stamp on it an' mail it t' them?" Loki asked. Thor chuckled.

"No, but the next time they visit you can give it to them," Thor explained.

"When am I goin' home again?" Loki asked.

"You are home," Thor told him.

"I mean home home," Loki clarified.

"I'm not sure Loki. I guess whenever father can take you home." Thor said.

"Oh," Loki began, "I hope tha's soon."

"I'm sure it will be," Thor replied. Loki squirmed off of Thor's lap.

"Let's go play, Thor," Loki said, hopping off the bed.

"Lead the way then, Loki," Thor replied, following Loki who was giggling madly already.

Thor was relieved to know that Loki was okay with knowing he was adopted. It was his fear that Loki wouldn't take it well or wouldn't understand what it meant but the boy surprisingly did take it well and did understand. He still didn't know he was a Frost Giant nor did he know he was King Laufey's son, but it was a start. At least Loki knew he was adopted as a child instead of finding out as a man. That was Thor's intention all along but due to all the moving around and issues with S.H.I.E.L.D. never had time to tell Loki. He was actually glad that Loki had asked on his own accord. That made it less awkward and easier to talk about. Loki and Thor played together until dinner. During dinner, Loki told Jane what adoption was and that he was adopted. His chest seemed to swell with pride when he got to the part about Odin choosing him to adopt. Loki seemed to have the idea that there was some sort of contest and he had beaten all the other babies in the running. Even if that wasn't the case at all, Thor found it amusing and somewhat fitting that Loki thought that was the case. Jane seemed enthralled by Loki's new found knowledge and that made Loki feel pretty special.

After dinner Thor, Jane and Loki had a movie night. The movies were all picked by Loki of course. They only watched two movies, however, before Loki fell asleep on Thor's lap. Thor bathed the sleeping boy and put him to bed. Once Loki was in bed, he and Jane watched a more adult movie and cuddled until Jane went to bed. Thor went to bed shortly after Jane did. He only slept for a while. Around two in the morning, the shuffle of feet sounded in Thor's room. He sat up and turned on the lamp by his bed. Standing there was Loki.

"Loki?" Thor questioned sleepily. Tears were streaming down Loki's face, the boy taking sharp breaths. "What's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream," Loki answered. Thor patted the mattress and Loki climbed up on to it. He instantly buried his face into Thor and began crying loudly and heavily.

"Oh, Loki," Thor whispered, "It seems your dream really was awful." Loki nodded.

"I dreamed tha' mummy an' daddy foun' a better son an' left me alone 'cause they 'dopted someone else," Loki cried miserably. Thor held him close, trying to comfort him.

"Loki that would never happen. Our parents love you just as much as they love me. You do know that, right?" Thor comforted.

"No," Loki sobbed.

"Loki, being adopted doesn't mean they love you any less than they love me. It just means that you were in another mummy's tummy before joining our family. Our parents love you so much, Loki. The love you just like the love me." Thor explained gently.

"Really?" Loki asked in between sobs. Thor kissed his raven head.

"Yes, Loki," Thor replied.

"Can I sleep with you?" Loki asked.

"Of course you can," Thor told him. Loki snuggled under the blankets next to Thor and sighed.

"G'night Thor. I love you." Loki said softly, falling asleep almost immediately after speaking.

"I love you too," Thor replied, falling asleep just as quickly as Loki did.

When morning came Loki was already begging to make his card for his parents. Thor assured him that he would still be able to but that they should probably eat first. Loki pouted of course but quit pouting when he began to eat. Once he was done eating Thor informed him that he still had to do his lessons. This earned a groan from Loki, but he didn't argue. He sat through all three hours of his daily lessons without complaining. It was then time for lunch and Loki thought for sure he would never get to do his card. Finally when he had finished his lunch he was free. Loki ran through the house in search of construction paper, markers and other craft items. When everything was collected he put it all on the kitchen table and crawled up into a chair. He paused, unsure of how to continue. Erik had walked into the room and saw art supplies scattered across the table. Curious, he walked over and sat next to Loki.

"What are you up to?" He asked.

"Well," Loki began fumbling with blue colored construction paper, "'m 'dopted an' I wan' t' make a card for my mummy an' daddy thankin' them for 'doptin' me, but I don' know how t' make a card."

"To start you need to fold the paper in half," Erik informed him. Loki nodded and did so.

"Now wha'?" Loki asked.

"Now you just write what you want your parents to read," Erik told him. The man stood, got what he went into the kitchenette to get then left.

"Hmm," Loki hummed, unsure of how to continue. He could go the traditional route and use markers but he didn't think that would get the message across. Glitter glue pens seemed like a much better way to go. Loki grabbed a red glitter glue pen and uncapped it. Slowly he lowered the pen to the paper and squeezed lightly. "Th-an-k you," Loki sounded out, slowly forming the letters with the pen. The pen made his hand writing worse than usually, but Loki paid no mind to it. "For a…." Loki trailed off. Panic set in as he realized that he had no clue how to spell adoption. All he knew was that it started with the letter 'A'. This was a crisis! He had already started on the card but didn't know how to spell the most important word on the card! Quickly Loki put the cap back on the pen and hurried out of the room. He had to find a grown-up. Why didn't he ask Erik how to spell it when he was in the room?

"Thor?" Loki called frantically. The shuffle of feet sounded and Thor came panting into the room.

"What's wrong?" Thor asked worriedly.

"I can' spell 'doption!" Loki cried. Thor's face relaxed and mighty laugh escaped his lips.

"That's all! Come, Loki! We shall go and spell adoption so you may write it!" Thor told him, hoisting Loki up on to his hip. Loki giggled and Thor walked into the kitchenette. The boy slid off of Thor's side and climbed back up onto the chair.

"How d' you spell 'doption Thor?" Loki asked, grabbing a glitter glue pen. Thor sat next to him. He saw the big 'A' that was already on the paper and smiled brightly. His little brother was so smart. Thor never thought he'd be so proud of Loki just for writing letters, but he was. He really was.

"Well you already started with an 'A'! Good job!" Thor praised. Loki giggled brightly in response.

"Thank you!" Loki replied.

"The next letter is a 'd'," Thor instructed. Loki nodded and wrote the letter, beaming the whole time.

When the card was finished, Loki begged for Thor to invite their parents over. Thor had to remind him that their parents were very busy people and couldn't always come down whenever Loki wanted them to. This resulted in a near hour of pouting from Loki. He wanted his parents to visit now so that he could give them the card. Loki had worked so hard on the card and didn't want to wait. Unfortunately he had to. The soonest his parents could visit was in two days' time. When Loki heard the news he was very upset indeed. He pouted for a while, but quickly got distracted when Thor offered to play with him. They went into Loki's room and Thor noticed the duffle bag from Loki's stay at Tony's was still on the floor. Thor picked it up and heard a soft thump. He looked down and saw the strange bag of rocks on the floor. Thor picked it up and walked over to Loki who's feet were sticking out of his toy box, his head inside the box.

"Say Loki," Thor began, squatting down next to him. Loki squirmed and found his way out of the box.

"Yeah?" Loki questioned. Thor showed him the bag and Loki's eyes instantly brightened.

"What is this?" Thor asked.

"Those are sea shells Thor! Me an' Uncle Tony foun' them together when we wen' t' the beach!" Loki explained happily.

"Oh, that makes sense. There were so many of them I wasn't sure what they were." Thor told him. Loki giggled.

"You're silly, Thor!" Loki laughed.

"You think so?" Thor asked. Loki nodded.

"Uh-huh I do," Loki replied.

"You might be right," Thor chuckled. Loki grinned brightly.

"I think tha' I am," Loki told him.

"I think that you are," Thor said, Loki climbing on to his lap and releasing a contented sigh.

A couple of days later, Odin and Frigga came over for dinner. They were early, of course, giving Loki plenty of time to give them the card he had made. He was beginning to feel nervous, however, and hid in his room. The card was clutched to his chest with slightly sweaty fingers. He didn't understand why he was so nervous. His parents would love it because he made it. Yet he couldn't help but fear they would hate the card that he worked so hard on. That would absolutely crush him. Loki glanced around the room and stood up. He made that card for his parents and he would deliver it if it was the last thing he did. Loki toddled out of his room and approached Odin and Frigga who were making small talk with Thor and Jane. He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and walked into the room.

"Mummy? Daddy?" Loki called timidly. All eyes rounded on him and he suddenly felt very small. Smaller than he'd ever felt before.

"Yes love?" Frigga asked. Loki shifted on his feet and shuffled awkwardly over.

"Um…I…I, uh…" Loki fumbled around with words for a moment before finally turning his face away and shoving the card in Frigga's face. "I made a card for you an' daddy." Frigga smiled softly and took the card then patted the boy's head.

"Why thank you," Frigga said, opening the card. She smiled and handed it to Odin who chuckled softly.

"You're very welcome, little one," Odin laughed, ruffling the boy's hair. Loki glanced up at him.

"D-do you like it?" Loki asked timidly.

"But of course!" Odin declared, "You made it for me making it the finest gift in all the realms!" Loki smiled and began to giggle.

"Thanks daddy an' mummy! 'M so glad you like it!" Loki cried happily, dancing on his feet. Odin and Frigga smiled at the bouncing boy proudly. He was really adjusted to Midgard and for that they were grateful. They were also grateful that his painful past hadn't ruined his ability to smile. It relieved some of Odin's guilt and in that moment all was well with the family. In that moment they all knew that they would heal and grow close again. And it was all because of one bouncing little boy.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to update! The holidays happened and then my laptop's cooling fan quit working. It's been a bummer, man. I have been using my sister's laptop, but since she needs it for school, it's been a challenge to write. Sorry! Anyway, the cat's out of the bag now! Loki knows he's adopted! Let's all hope things are different know that he knows as a little boy and that bit of information isn't thrown at him as a grown-up! Well, I'm rambling now. See you all next time! :)**


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